


A Field Trip

by theoddwriter



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Coming of Age, Eventual Fluff, Gen, Insecurity, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, References to Depression, Sweet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:08:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26205451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theoddwriter/pseuds/theoddwriter
Summary: Bumi II has been struggling in school with being the non-bending son of Avatar Aang and Master Katara. His parents, not knowing how to help their son out of his depression call upon the two people they know can take him on a life changing trip.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Bumi II/Izumi (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 63





	1. Chapter One: The Accident

**Author's Note:**

> TW: There are references to depression, references to abuse, and a serious accident in this story. Viewer Discretion is advised.

“Hello Avatar, it is an honor to meet you, your son is in there.” The school nurse said softly.

Bumi was sitting alone with bruises and scrapes adorning his body, and one especially nasty cut on his forehead. But despite his bumps and blood he had a big smirk on his face. He could barely feel his feet but he didn’t care. He didn’t let them win this time, and that was what mattered.

“Bumi. We need to talk, now.” He heard his father’s voice boom.

Yes, he was the son of Avatar Aang and the most powerful waterbending master. Most people would assume that that would give him the biggest boost in life, but it didn’t. It was Bumi’s greatest negative. He wasn’t born with powers like his mother or father’s. He wasn’t the airbender people wanted, and he wasn’t the waterbender people wanted either. He was just, Bumi, the nonbender. Even his own namesake was one of the greatest earthbenders to ever walk the planet but he couldn’t move a pebble even if he wanted to.

Kids did not take kindly to those who can easily be teased, they never did. But for once he didn’t let them win. He wouldn’t lose anymore.

“Why did you do it?” Aang asked in his calm and collected tone. Bumi hated that tone.

“They started it!” He went to defend himself.

“But you finished it. You and I know that you’re very well trained in physical combat so why did you go against a classmate? One has his nose broken and the other is missing a tooth! I told you that the air nation does not believe in striking first, especially not an opponent who’s weaker.” Aang began to scold his son, but this time Bumi had had enough.

“Well I’m NOT an airbender! In case you forgot!” Bumi screamed at his father. 

But as he went to leave he overheard a teacher talking to his father. They were quiet so he had to be on his best behavior to keep this quiet. All he wanted to do was know just what kind of crap they were going to feed his father.

“He was telling the truth, you know Avatar. Your son he’s being bullied… by a group of bending students. Usually my fellow teachers handle stuff like this but, I saw your son out there today. He was rescuing a young girl’s kite from a tree when a group of these boys came by. They began to beat on him to see if his “air bending” would kick in. Or if he wasn’t even your son at all. I don’t know their names, but I just want you to know that it’s happening.” She said.

Bumi felt his heartbeat slow down. He wanted to deal with those benders himself. He didn’t want to need his ‘daddy’s help’. He wanted to fight his own battles, he was 14 already and by that point his parents had saved the world. What kind of loser would it make him to ask for their help after getting his ass kicked? The only people his parents were losing to when they were his age were girls like Azula, not stupid guys on the playground.

So he did what he felt he had to do, and ran.

He figured that he could put some decent mileage between himself and his dad if he went quietly and not in an open path. Honestly, a piece of him knew that it wouldn’t truly work but he had to give it a shot. He did not want to come back home to see his mother’s disappointed eyes. He just couldn’t.

As he ran he could have sworn he heard his father call out his name.

There was only one place that Bumi could think of to run to. He found it when he went exploring with a bird he found. It was a small little spot outside of Yue Bay. It was close enough to Air Temple Island if he absolutely needed to get back, but for now he could enjoy some peace and quiet in a place he knew his parents couldn’t find him. Where nobody could find him.

Once Bumi got to his hide away, he took a look around. The shore of Yue Bay was beautiful from where he stood. Everything felt peaceful, he even began to skip rocks. Watching the ripples form as the rock jumped across the water gave him a tiny feeling as though he was waterbending. He knew that ripples were just a snap of the fingers for his mother or sister, but creating his own always felt like a mini victory.

Peace eventually ended when Bumi heard a loud yelp.

A small cat was caught holding itself for dear life on a small cliff overlooking the water. It was screeching and clawing in attempts to save itself. 

Bumi’s heart dropped the second he looked up. He was a known animal lover. He was always good with animals, quite like his father. He used to cry if people would crush ants on purpose. So, he knew what he had to do.

Climbing was not Bumi’s strong suit, but he was damn well fast. He gave himself a running start and climbed as best as he could. Surprisingly, he was doing well. But the wind around him began to pick up. As he looked up towards the sky he saw the clouds begin to gray, a storm was brewing. He went faster to make sure he could reach the cat in time, which he finally did. He finally made it up to get the cat back up to the safe side of the cliff.

A large sigh of relief left his lungs as he watched the cat rush away to safety towards the city. Bumi then decided it was time to climb down back to the bay to go back to his hiding spot. Hopefully his area of shade was enough to protect him from the rain. 

He knew that going downhill was significantly easier than climbing uphill, so he wasn’t too worried about falling. As he was climbing down however, the rain began to start. The first few drops hit his face and he felt like maybe he could handle just a bit of water, but it soon got worse. The downpour came almost immediately after, soaking Bumi to the bone. But Bumi wasn’t the only one to get soaked. The cliff began to get more and more slippery. Bumi’s heart rate began to get higher and higher until he felt his heart sink. His foot slipped, he was falling.

The air around him was freezing, he saw his life flashing before his eyes. Like everything he saw would be the last sights he would ever see. It was over, it was all over.

“Bumi!” He could have sworn he heard his father scream.

The crash of the water came with a rushing heat, and a bone chilling coolness. His back hit the water hard, he wanted to create a softer dive, but he couldn’t stick the landing. The rush of pain warmed his back but the water was so cold it didn’t matter. His mouth opened to scream but only water filled his lungs. 

All he could think of as the water filled his lungs was how much he wished he was a waterbender. He just wanted one way that he could survive this. And as his eyes began to close he felt himself being lifted into the air.

His dad was bending him out onto the beach, being as careful and gentle as possible. Bumi had never seen his father look scared before. 

When he was finally on the beach the water around him dissipated. Bumi began to vomit water. His throat was scratched and burning, with his body aching. Water dribbled out of his nose and he knew his eyes were probably bright red. But as soon as the water stopped coming he felt a pair of arms scoop him up. The body carrying him was warm and familiar, it was his dad. 

“Please stay with me buddy, I promise you’re going to be ok. Please just hold on until we get back to your mom. You’re going to be ok you hear me?” Aang coached him. 

But no matter what Aang said he felt himself growing more and more tired. Running from school, climbing up a cliff, climbing down a cliff, and falling off a cliff is enough to take the energy out of a person. Eventually, closing his eyes became too tempting, and he fell asleep. 

By the time he finally opened his eyes, he was at home. He was in his bed all alone, and he didn’t remember how he finally got back. He was in dry pajamas and tucked into bed neatly. But when he tried to get up and look around, his whole body was aching. He let out a loud scream and fell back down onto the pillow. 

“Bumi! He’s awake mommy!” Little Kya called. 

Soon, Bumi went from being alone to having his family crowding around him. His mother, father, and two little siblings were staring at him from every angle. He felt such guilt well up in his heart as he saw tears well up in his mother’s eyes. Hurting them is worse than falling off of a cliff. 

“Hey mom…” 

“Oh thank the spirits you’re awake. I’m going to give you another healing session soon I swear, do you need any help to lean up? Mommy’s right here.” She said rubbing Bumi’s hair. 

Master Katara was a fierce warrior who took down Princess Azula and broke a misogynistic law in the Northern Watertribe. But the rumors of her loving and healing nature would never fully encompass the love she truly had. She would never turn her back on people, no matter how annoying the injury she would do her best to heal the wound. 

“Yes please.” Bumi said, a weak tone to his voice. 

She held his shoulders and lifted him up slightly. He hissed at the pain but relaxed once he was sitting up against his pillows. He was both relieved and ridiculously embarrassed. He felt absolutely ashamed when he looked in his mother’s eyes. Her sapphire eyes never could hide her emotions, and her fear and worry was crystal clear. 

Just when he looked down to study the pattern of his traditional water tribe print blanket, his father walked in. 

“Hey Kya, can you and Tenzin go play in your room? Your mother and I have to talk to Bumi. If you do I’ll make you some sweet buns.” Aang told his daughter, poking her nose in attempts to make her smile, which absolutely worked. 

As the two younger siblings left Bumi’s room hand in hand, Katara closed the door behind them. 

“Bumi, we have some questions for you ok bud?” His father asked him, crouching by his bed. Bumi knew this was about to get serious, and he wanted no part in it. So he remained silent. 

“Why did you jump off the cliff? Tell the truth.” Katara asked softly. 

“I didn’t! I fell on accident, why am I even telling you this like you’d believe me? You clearly don’t.” Bumi replied with a pointed tone in his voice. 

Both of his parents were taken aback by his attitude. Bumi was the goofy one, always acting reckless and sweet. The youngest at heart. There wasn’t a mean bone in his body, even when he was teasing his siblings it was always from a place of love. This new side of their son worried them even more. 

“You need to tell us who the boys on the playground that bullied you are. We need to know their names.” Aang tried to be calm but his voice was mixed with all kinds of emotions, ones that made Bumi incredibly uncomfortable. 

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Bumi said, not looking either of his parents in the eyes. 

“Why won’t you talk to us?” Katara raised her voice, pain laced with her words. 

Because I don’t want my mom and dad solving all my problems! I don’t want to be the helpless kid saved by Avatar Aang and the Waterbending Master Katara!” Bumi yelled at his parents. He never called them by their first names. His new attitude began to frighten his parents more and more. Katara had to wipe her eyes to keep herself from crying. 

“Do not call us like that young man. We only want to help you.” Aang scolded his son, which only pushed Bumi over the edge. 

“I don’t want your help!” He screamed, finally looking at both of them. 

The whole room froze. The tension in the air grew thick and cold all at once. Neither Katara or Aang knew what to say. Katara usually knew how to handle anger and stress thrown at her, especially as a healer. But hearing the anger and pain in her son after he had such a close run in with death took all of the wise knowledge out of her. She had no words to fix this, and Aang certainly didn’t. Aang went to go yell out of pure worry and anger, but Katara put a hand on his shoulder, giving him the one look in the eye that always calmed him down. They decided that there was no way that a screaming match would fix their son’s mood and pain. So instead, each of them kissed Bumi’s forehead and left the room.

Once they left, Bumi couldn’t stop the tears from flowing down his face. 

“Why am I like this?”


	2. Chapter Two: Going Out

It had been a whole two weeks and Bumi still hadn’t left his bedroom. His body was healed well, but it seemed that nothing could bring him to get up and out of his room. Every day he looked more and more exhausted, as if life was being drained out of his body. The goofy and lovable young man wasn’t with them anymore. 

The air acolytes would bring him food, and occasionally Kya would go into his room and drop him off some art that she had worked on. She said that the colors would help brighten the room.

As Bumi woke up, things changed, he heard talking outside of his door. 

“We don’t know how to help him. Please, the two of you are the only people that I can think of to actually help him. So, if you could take him on one of those life changing field trips of yours, I will be genuinely grateful.” He heard his mother say. 

He wondered who his mother was talking to. But he had a feeling that whoever it was, they weren’t going to help very much. Lately, he felt like he’d never get better, or even back to the way he once was.

Then, a knock came at his door. And all he could do was sit up and tell whoever it was to come in.

“Hey honey, you’ve got some visitors.” His mother said walking into his room. And when she stepped to the side, Bumi finally got to see who was there to visit him.

It just so happened that the two men that came to visit him were Firelord Zuko and the ambassador of the Southern Watertribe, Sokka. His uncle and literal royalty stood before him with gentle smiles on their faces and Bumi felt his heart skip a beat.

“Hey there Bumi, how’s my nephew doing?” Sokka asked Bumi while giving him a noogie. 

“Sokka cut it out! We have a genuine question to ask him. Stop rubbing his brain.” Zuko criticized, bonking his friend on the head.

Their little interaction was enough to give Bumi a small smile. Which was about all that he could muster lately. 

“What’s your question?” He asked softly.

“We want to take you on a field trip back to the Fire Nation. We think it’ll help you with what’s going on. Besides, field trips with Zuko have always been good. Your mother, father, even I have gone on plenty of good trips with him.” His uncle replied to Bumi’s question.

Bumi thought about it for a minute. Maybe spending time away wouldn’t be half bad. Maybe it would be fun, he’d heard plenty of stories. It was all so much to think about, and he knew he had to make a decision.

“Ok… let’s do it.” Bumi said rubbing his eyes as he slowly stood up from bed. Shocking everyone around him.

“I’ll help you pack your bags ok honey? It’s gonna be great, I promise. And once it’s over, you better come home and tell me all about it!” His mother said gently.

He felt a bit strange seeing everyone act like they were stepping on eggshells around him. It made him insecure. He hoped that maybe his uncle and the Firelord wouldn’t treat him like a porcelain doll or an insignificant fly.

“You better pack for warm weather. I don’t know if you remember the last summer you spent in the Fire Nation, but you got overheated a lot. And we need you in prime condition for fun and adventure.” Sokka explained putting a hand on his nephew’s shoulder.

Bumi nodded, understanding where his uncle was coming from.

Packing went by quicker than Bumi expected it to. He hadn’t worn a lot of his clothes for the past two weeks, so clean clothes were plenty ready. But when he saw his mother put a swimsuit into the bag he felt his heart drop. He didn’t know if he was all that ready for swimming. Whenever he thought of the water, he would flashback to the sting of having water entering his lungs from his throat and nose. He shook the feeling away and tried to keep a strong head on his shoulders. He didn’t want to show weakness to two of the strongest men he’d ever met.

Once everything was done He looked around his room and finally took the first few steps out of his room. The light was brighter in the hallway. He usually only left his room to go to the bathroom at night. So the sun was a lot for him. Not like he’d ever tell anyone that.

“We’ve got the ship we’re taking parked at the pier. Do you want to say any goodbyes before we leave?” Zuko asked calmly. Bumi nodded.

He went to Kya’s room and gave her a hug. She hugged back, surprised to see him outside of his room.

“I’m going to be gone for awhile. Watch over Tenzin, Mom, and Dad for me ok? I trust you to be tough.” Bumi told his little sister pulling away from the hug and held out his pinky. Their own little signal to each other.

“Got it. I’ll hold down the fort. Promise.” She said with a giggle, locking her pinky with his.

Bumi went back to Sokka and Zuko and nodded to them, signaling that he was ready to leave. Katara hugged him softly and planted a kiss on his forehead.

“Have a fun trip Bumi. I love you.” His mother told him, a shakiness in her voice. Bumi hoped that she wasn’t crying. He wouldn’t be able to handle it if she was, so he just closed his eyes.

He turned and walked out of the temple to the pier with Zuko and his uncle. They ran into his father as they walked. Aang slowed down Appa and landed down in front of them. He took a deep breath and looked at his brother in law and his best friend. 

“What’s going on here? A field trip?” He asked quizzically, looking at his son.

“Yeah, Katara sent for us last week. We’re taking Bumi here to the Fire Nation. First, we’re gonna spend some time at the Palace and then at Ember Island. We’ll be back in two weeks, promise.” Sokka explained.

Aang nodded, pondering for a moment.

“Have fun Bumi, be careful.” The avatar told his son, looking him in the eyes. Bumi took a deep breath and nodded. The tension between the two of them was a lot, enough that Zuko and Sokka could feel it. 

“Alright let’s get going! It’s nice to see you Aang. When we come back let’s grab some dinner.” Zuko said, hugging his friend.

Eventually, sick of the tension, Sokka pulled both Zuko and Bumi onto their boat. It was a decently sized Fire Nation ship. The sailors were incredibly polite to Bumi, and he was pretty thankful for it. He knew that it was probably because he was traveling with the Fire Lord and Ambassador, but he didn’t care. He liked feeling important on a ship. The sailors looked cool. He wondered what it would be like to be a sailor in the navy. 

The view from the front deck was incredible, and the salty air was relaxing, especially since Bumi didn’t have to swim in the water he was above. He looked up at the sky, the clouds were making nice shapes he could point out for hours, it reminded him of stuff he did with his dad. He swallowed thickly in hopes to not think about that stuff, he didn’t want to feel that way while on a field trip.

“So what are we doing on our field trip?” Bumi asked Zuko.

“Well, first I am hoping to stop by Ba Sing Se to grab us some tea from the Jasmine Dragon, but then we are definitely heading to the palace so that while we trip, you can come with us to some meetings. After some business, we are all going to Ember Island to enjoy some fun in the sun.” Zuko explained. 

“That’s pretty much the plan, little man.” Sokka added by patting Bumi’s head.

“Wait, you want to take me to your meetings? Why?” He asked. He was confused by this. He was only 14 and wasn’t the smartest guy in the world. Quite frankly, he believed that his baby sister and brother had more book brains than he could ever have. 

Both Zuko and Sokka laughed at that statement.

“We were both strategists by the time we were your age. Sokka was protecting his tribe and I was running a boat on my first mission. You’ve got leadership in your blood Bumi, don’t forget that.” Zuko admitted.

“And you don’t need bending to lead, trust me.” Sokka told his nephew, poking his forehead.

Bumi thought about it for a minute. He came from a family of masters and leaders. His mother and father were natural masters and leaders in bending, but his uncle was an ambassador. And Sokka didn’t have any bending to do all of that. Maybe he could convince his uncle to teach him sword fighting or even how to use a boomerang. And if the Firelord and a Master Swordsman believed in him, maybe it could be true.

“Ok, I’ll give it a shot. Besides, I kind of wanted to know what it’s like to be in the Navy or Army and stuff.” 

Zuko and Sokka nodded at each other with smiles on their faces.

The three men eventually went inside the ship to eat. Zuko decided to have the chef cook some Komodo Chicken and some spicy noodles. Both smelled amazing and Sokka was always a fan of having meat and spices at the ready. However he criticized the noodles for not being as good as seaweed noodles from the Southern Tribe. But Bumi liked both equally.

“You know Bumi, I gotta take you ice dodging next year, it’s custom for water tribe boys to do it to become water tribe men.” Sokka said, finishing up his plate.

“Am I really a water tribe guy though? I feel like I don’t fit either air nation nor water tribe standards.” Bumi admitted.

“Look, you’ve got water tribe in your blood. You’ll always have a home there. You’re the grandson of Head Chieftain Hakoda. Your mother is the greatest southern water bender in the world. You’re just as much water tribe as anybody. And hell, your dad is a water bender too technically, so you’re plenty fit. Besides, I didn’t get to go ice dodging until I was much older since my dad was off fighting the war. But I want to teach you how. It’ll be fun, I once took Zuko ice dodging and then ice fishing, and let me tell you, he had fun but he was terrible!” Sokka said lightly punching Bumi’s arm, hoping to avoid bruises.

“Hey! I never needed to know how to fish before.” The Firelord said with a scowl. 

The two friends made Bumi laugh, they were human beings, more than their titles. He saw himself in them more than he saw himself in his own parents. He felt genuinely comfortable with them.

And after a few hours of Sokka trying to explain Pai Sho, they had arrived in Ba Sing Se, ready to have some tea.


	3. Chapter Three: Tea and Advice

The upper ring of Ba Sing Se was always beautiful. Personally, Sokka liked the middle ring where he could study in the university library, but the upper ring had history for the ambassador as well as the Firelord. Both Zuko and Sokka had changed into much simpler clothes to enjoy the city without being stared at or stopped every five minutes.

Bumi saw all kinds of people as he walked around. There were government officials, pretty girls, and fancy actors and actresses. 

“Hi, welcome to Ba Sing Se, do you want a flower?” A young girl said, walking up to Bumi.

She had longer hair in twin braids, paired with beautiful green eyes. She wore a simple pale green dress. Everything was beautiful about her, and Bumi knew that he had to make a move. That, or he’d beat himself up over not doing it.

“I’d love one, but only if you wear it. The lily would look perfect in your hair.” He said taking the flower she held out and tucking it behind her ear. She giggled in response. And then came an older woman, just about the Firelord’s age, rushing out.

“Yang, what have I told you about going too far away from the stand? I-” She began but then stared at Zuko. 

“Lee? Is that you?” She asked, taking a step back and pulling her daughter with her.

Zuko responded almost immediately.

“Jin? It’s been years, how have you been?” He asked politely. Both Bumi and Sokka were entirely confused as to why Zuko knew a beautiful woman in the middle of Ba Sing Se.

“You know, parenthood, opened up my own flower shop. I have been to your uncle Mushi’s new tea place but I never seem to catch you since you moved away. But I assume you’ve been doing better Mr. Firelord.” She said with a laugh. Zuko then exhaled awkwardly. There seemed to be an energy between these two that Bumi couldn’t put a finger on.

“Hey mom, how do you two know each other?” Yang asked, giving a little wave to Bumi.

“Well, Lee and I went on a date back when I used to live in the lower ring. He was truly romantic, if not a bit awkward. Do you still like to juggle?” She said, giving Zuko a hug.

“You knew I was lying. But it is nice to meet you. Parenthood is going well for me too, however it is a bit difficult when you have to run a nation while doing it. But you know, loving your children never stops.” Zuko admitted with a gentle smile.

“Don’t I know it. Is the young man currently flirting with my daughter your son?” 

“No, he’s the nephew of my ambassador here, almost like my nephew as well. My daughter is the princess of the Fire Nation and at home studying.” Zuko replied, making Bumi and Yang blush bright red. But Bumi had another thing in mind.

Zuko didn’t introduce him as the avatar’s son. He didn’t bring that up right away, instead he was Ambassador Sokka’s nephew, and the friend of the Firelord. Bumi couldn’t put a finger on it but that felt good. He didn’t have to immediately deal with a million questions like he usually did. He wasn’t begged to air bend, no was he compared to looking nothing like his father.

It felt wrong to be so happy about not having to be known constantly as the avatar’s son, but he was. Guilt ran through him uncomfortably so. He didn’t want to be ashamed of himself and his father, but he was.

“That’s so cool! Are you gonna be a sailor or something?” Yang asked.

“Maybe one day, you know both my uncle and the Firelord spent time as sailors, it would be cool to do the same you know?” Bumi said with a smirk, causing the girl before him to blush.

“Ok lover boy, we have tea to go drink. It was nice meeting you Jin. I might have to come back and learn all about Zuko’s life in Ba Sing Se, or at least what a terrible date he was.” Sokka said with a snort, causing Zuko to bonk him on the head.

Bumi gave one final wave to Yang and Jin before finally going to the famous tea shop, The Jasmine Dragon.

Inside it was properly decorated, the different shades of green and the flowers all around created a relaxing environment, especially with the smell of hot tea wafting around. Zuko stood in front of the counter to meet face to face with the man he came all this way to see.

“Nephew! It is such an honor for you to come visit. Please, sit. I would love for you to enjoy some tea. Sokka, it is a pleasure to see you as well, and is this little Bumi? You’ve grown tall since I last saw you young man.” Iroh said with a gentle smile.

The four men sat down at the nicest table Iroh had. The old man took the pot of tea he had made and began to pour it into four tin cups.

“Tell me, what do you need besides a good cup of tea. You know I am always here for when you need some advice.” Iroh asked.

“General… I want to know something. How are you able to be so confident? Have pride?” 

Iroh paused for a moment. Sokka and Zuko both knew their answers to the question, but they didn’t know if their answers would help too much. Since Zuko and Sokka found hope and confidence through ending a 100 year long war and nearly dying. They figured that that wasn’t an option for young Bumi. 

“Well, you have to look at things with unclouded eyes. That is the only way to truly see the good in yourself. If you look for the light, that will guide you right. But if you only look for the dark, it will be all you ever see. Besides, I think having a bit of fun can always perk someone up, and you are traveling with the perfect two people to aid you.” Iroh said, putting a hand on Bumi’s shoulder.

It didn’t make much sense at first. He couldn’t just pretend that his pain didn’t exist. That was crazy talk. But maybe, spending some time with Zuko and Sokka would help. Iroh often knows what’s best.  
“Thank you. That doesn’t make sense to me right now. But I bet hanging out will help.” 

“Good, now enjoy your tea, it will help you calm down. It relaxes the mind, just ask Zuko. He needed plenty of tea to wind him down when he was young. And even then it wouldn’t be enough.” Iroh laughed, causing the Firelord to blush.

“What was he like when he was younger?” Bumi asked.

“My nephew was going through great suffering. The pressure of having a powerful father was always weighing on both his sister and his own mind. Things were never simple for him. He was sailing around the world and never fully thinking through his plans. It took a lot to make him learn what true joy and peace was. Remember, that sometimes adventure and fighting is exhilarating but a moment of quiet can benefit one's mental health. So before you go on an adventure with the two most reckless men I’ve ever met, please enjoy some peace and tea while you are here.” Iroh explained.

Both Zuko and Sokka went to argue, but knew that Iroh was right. So instead, the two of them drink their tea. 

Bumi sat and had a nice drink from his cup. He wondered what it was like to have that kind of pressure for Zuko. Maybe the Firelord would understand where Bumi was coming from. How the expectations are so difficult to deal with. 

All he had to do was go with it, maybe then his questions would be answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoy this story so far, I hope to update when I can but college has been my main focus


	4. Chapter Four: Practice the Throw

The ride to the Fire Nation is always long. Yes, boats travel a lot quicker than they did when Zuko and Sokka were teenagers, but it would be longer than a day. As the three men got settled into the inside of the ship, Bumi began to get tired. But he had questions for his uncle. 

“Hey Uncle Sokka? Can I ask you a few things?” He started. 

“Sure thing. Let’s go out to the deck, some privacy I think will do you some good.” Sokka replied, throwing an arm around Bumi’s shoulders and bringing him outside. 

The night air was nice, but not all too cold thanks to the Fire Nation waters. The stars were out and he could tell his uncle was staring at the moon. He heard people occasionally tease him about the moon, but he didn’t know why. 

“What’s on your mind Bumi?” Sokka asked, leaning against the railing. 

“How did you get over not being a bender? All I do is screw up and get hurt, and everybody expects me to be an airbender or waterbender, but I’m just not. My parents are special and I’m not. I’m just the kid who’s regular. But I’m the Avatar’s kid, I’m not supposed to be regular. How did I… get it wrong? How did I get born… wrong.” Bumi began to tear up as he said the last part of his rant. He was looking down, to avoid his uncle’s gaze.

He heard his uncle hum and ruffle his hair. It was reassuring in a way that Bumi couldn’t describe. Like solidarity.

“I had similar thoughts when I was around your age. It was before the invasion, and we were hiding out in the fire nation. I saw my sister, your father, and Toph handle a meteor that was going to burn down a whole town. And I couldn’t help in that situation at all. It bruised my ego a lot and my confidence was piss poor. But do you know what I did out of that meteor? I took it and made it a sword, while studying with Swordmaster Piando. I learned how to hold my own by not using physical strength, but my brains. It took me a long time to build up all of this muscle, and I was behind the pack at your age. But I learned that my brain was just as powerful as any bender’s might. Tell you what, I’ll train you how to use a sword, and properly. And we’ll have Zuko to help out since he used to be skilled in dual wielding swords.” Sokka said.

“And just because you have powerful people in your family, doesn’t mean you have to be exactly like them. Picture Zuko’s family like you’ve read about them. Ozai and Azula, both were uhm… well… evil and gross. But him and Iroh aren’t like that. Just because your dad is all peace and love and your mother thinks that smothering is fun, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t belong to them. You’re just as much theirs as Kya or Tenzin are, bender or not.” He continued, still looking up at the sky. 

Bumi wiped his eyes, trying not to cry anymore, but it wasn’t working. So instead he opted to just give his uncle a hug. He was shaking a little. He hated feeling so vulnerable but he did. 

“Thanks uncle… Thank you for understanding, and being here with me.” Bumi replied. 

Sokka nodded and looked around to make sure nobody was on deck. Then he sat Bumi down and pulled out his boomerang. A trusty item of his for years, and Bumi had heard plenty stories about it since he was a little kid. He always wanted to learn how to use it.

“Come on, let me teach you to throw this. Boomerang was a trusty companion of mine, and I’ve taken out plenty of benders with it. Never underestimate a good tool. Strength can come from all different sources.” The wiser uncle explained, handing Bumi the boomerang. 

It was scuffed up a bit, probably from years of battling with it. It was clearly designed by the water tribe and was decently sharpened enough. Bumi felt strange holding such an important weapon.

“It all comes from how you hold it, and the angle you throw it at. For now, I want you to practice holding it properly, then we’ll move on to throwing it. But after that, we need to go to bed. There is no reason to want to have Zuko yell at us for being stupid. Although he’s spent plenty of all-nighters. It’s the parent in him.” Sokka laughed.

Sokka sat down behind Bumi and adjusted his hand to the proper position to hold the boomerang. At first it was uncomfortable for Bumi, but Sokka made him put it down and pick it back up again until he could pick it up in proper form without even thinking about it. Sokka always learned better by doing, it’s how his father and Piando taught him. He worked with his hands, what could he say?

“Alright young man, I think it’s time for you to learn how to throw and catch it. You’re going to want to catch the boomerang with the same hand form that you used to throw it in the first place. So that you don’t end up breaking your hand while trying to catch it. Trust me, these things can do some real damage.” Sokka explained, standing up. 

Bumi followed him and put his hand in the right position and let Sokka guide his arm. He waited, and did his first throw. However, when he saw it coming back towards his face, he covered it. And thankfully Sokka caught the boomerang before it hit Bumi.

Sokka bonked Bumi on the head lightly and laughed.

“Hey, some wise words from a good friend of both yours and mine. You can’t give up because you might fail. Being freaked out about getting knocked down is fine, but if you don’t try at all you’ll definitely fail. Now do it again.”

The young man took a deep breath and nodded, trying again. He managed to catch it but he tripped over himself a little bit.  
“Try not to throw too hard or you’ll knock yourself down.” Sokka reminded his nephew. 

The two actually continued to practice until both of them were so tired they felt delirious. And they both hoped that the crew wouldn’t snitch on them as they snuck back to bed. But even Zuko noticed the two men passed out together, boomerang in between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've been a bit late with updating my pieces because of college, but I finally have been able to make up for lost time!


End file.
